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☆ Elon Musk's former Twitter lieutenant reveals her ex-boss was funny — though he told the same stories and jokes 'over and over'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ex-Twitter director Esther Crawford said Elon Musk is "oddly charming and he's genuinely funny." Crawford broke down her experience with Musk at Twitter in a 14-minute video on Wednesday. Elon Musk isn't just a jokester on Twitter — at least according to one of his former lieutenants at the social media company. "In person Elon is oddly charming and he's genuinely funny," Esther Crawford, the ex-director of product management at Twitter, said in a 14-minute video on X. Despite his sense of humor, Crawford said the billionaire's personality could "turn on a dime" and could be hard to predict.

Persons: Esther Crawford, Elon Musk, Crawford, Musk, Elon, Tim Cook, Jeff Bezos, Musk's Organizations: Twitter, Amazon

☆ James Cameron's $33 million eco-friendly estate helped inspire the blockbuster Avatar franchise. Take a look inside.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The home is in Hollister Ranch, a coastal subdivision where singer Jackson Browne has also lived. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. The mostly solar- and wind-powered estate sits in Hollister Ranch, a secluded coastal subdivision that restricts residential development to help preserve the area's wildlife and native vegetation. According to a history of the area published by the Hollister Ranch Conservancy, the property "represents a concept of land development that is a model for both landowners and environmentalists." Cameron and his wife, Suzy Amis Cameron, purchased the property in the late 1990s for $4.375 million, WSJ writer Katherine Clarke found.

Persons: James Cameron, Jackson Browne, Cameron, Oscar, Jeff Kruthers, Suzy Amis Cameron, Katherine Clarke, — Organizations: Service, Village Properties, Forbes Global Properties, Hollister Ranch Realty, Wall Street Journal, Conservancy Locations: Hollister Ranch, Wall, Silicon, Gaviota, Santa Barbara County, California, Hollister

☆ Ex finance chief of collapsed Carillion hit with 11-year ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Kirstin Ridley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Zafar Khan, who stepped down as Carillion's finance director after just nine months in the job shortly before the business collapsed in January 2018, had voluntarily agreed to the disqualification, the Insolvency Service said on Monday. Carillion employed 43,000 people before it collapsed in Britain's biggest bankruptcy in a decade. The Insolvency Service applied for eight directors linked to the business to be disqualified and the Financial Conduct Authority fined three former executives in 2022, including Khan, for "recklessly" publishing misleading financial statements. Litigation is continuing against other directors and a trial has been set for Oct. 16, the Insolvency Service said. ($1 = 0.7881 pounds)Reporting by Kirstin Ridley Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Carillion, Zafar Khan, Khan, Ben Drew, Kirstin Ridley, Mark Potter Organizations: Service, Financial, LinkedIn, Litigation, Thomson Locations: British, Fladgate

☆ Insider Interview: James Comey explains the rule-bending feds in his new and 'real' mystery novel
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Insider: Let's talk about Benny Dugan, the salty, streetwise investigator who works with prosecutors for the Southern District of New York. And I would say, "What makes you think I'm a good person?" Insider: Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't all the good people get bought up by the end of the book? There are at least 57 FBIs — a New York FBI, a Saint Louis FBI, headquarters, the Washington Field Office. I don't think we've grappled with the implications of that, and whether it fits within our normal Fourth Amendment framework.

Persons: James Comey's, Benny Dugan, Dugan, Smith, —, — relents, Donald Trump, Trump, Comey, Hillary Clinton, Steele, wasn't Comey, Long, Kenneth McCabe, Benny, Kenny, Nora, I've, John le Carré, that's shortsighted, Matt Parker, James Comey, I'm, You've, Martin Scorsese, they've, Mattathias Schwartz Organizations: Wesson, Trump —, FBI, Southern, of, Justice Department, Twitter, US, CIA, New York FBI, Saint Louis FBI, Washington Field Office, State Department, Justice, New Yorker Mafia, La Cosa Nostra, Cosa Nostra, FISA Locations: of New York, Washington, Brooklyn, New York, Manhattan

Goldman Sachs released its list of high conviction stocks — with a new twist. What makes this list unique from the typical top picks list is that members of Goldman's Investment Review Committee were the ones choosing the names, adding a second layer of analysis. Take a look at some of the names that made the list, and where Goldman sees them going forward. Goldman expects shares to have 42% upside over the next 12 months. The tech giant's scale, platform breadth, category diversification and end-market exposure will further fuel its upside opportunity in the years ahead, according to Sheridan.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Steven Kron, Goldman, Kate McShane, Chris Shibutani, Eric Sheridan, Brett Feldman, Max —, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Goldman's Investment, Pharmaceutical, Merck, Goldman, Amazon, Services, Warner Bros, HBO Max Locations: Sheridan, WarnerMedia

☆ Ken Loach at Cannes: 'don't know' if 'The Old Oak' will be last film
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Hanna Rantala | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Screening of the film "The Old Oak" in competition - Red Carpet Arrivals - Cannes, France, May 26, 2023. Director Ken Loach and wife Lesley Ashton, Screenwriter Paul Laverty, Producer Rebecca O'Brien, and cast members Ebla Mari and Dave Turner pose. REUTERS/Yara... Read moreCANNES, May 26 (Reuters) - Ken Loach said on Friday he does not know if "The Old Oak," the 86-year-old British director's attempt to win the Cannes Film Festival's top prize for a third time, would be his last. "Oh, I don't know, I live day by day," said Loach, who turns 87 in June. Loach told The Hollywood Reporter last month that "The Old Oak," which premiered on Friday, was likely his last feature.

☆ McQueen documentary juxtaposes Amsterdam's Nazi-occupied past with the present
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Hanna Rantala | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"It's just putting things into context - how we're here, how did we arrive here today," McQueen told Reuters. Filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the documentary includes the street protests that erupted against the government's infection prevention measures and the celebrations afterward. Critics have described "Occupied City" as monumental, moving and as ranking among the great World War Two-themed films. The director's upcoming feature film, "Blitz," stars Saoirse Ronan and is also set during the World War Two. The Blitz in London was "very different to how we think it was," McQueen told Reuters, adding: "I'm hoping to show you."

☆ Cate Blanchett dons habit in Australian director's conversion tale
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Alicia Powell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Newcomer Aswan Reid plays the titular 9-year-old New Boy in the film by Warwick Thornton based on his own experience of walking into a church for the first time at the age of 11. "That's a genesis for a great movie," Thornton told Reuters on Saturday, before joking: "You know, written by child and directed by a grumpy old man is probably how it worked." Blanchett's nun sets about trying to convert the boy, who can seemingly heal wounds with his touch and starts bleeding from his palms, in a magical-realist conflict of spirituality. Deborah Mailman, who plays another nun, told Reuters that the film helps viewers understand the emotional gravitas of colonization: "It actually emotionally pushes you to that point of going, 'This is what it is, this is what happened.'" Reporting by Alicia Powell Writing by Miranda Murray; Editing by Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Color of Change, pioneering racial-justice nonprofit, is plagued by allegations of sexual assault and bullying, ineffective leadership, and deep layoffs say sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Sean Campbell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Misconduct by senior leadership was often ignored or glossed over, and choas led to high turnover. But behind the scenes, some staff members say the organization has been wracked with internal turmoil, ineffective leadership, and deep layoffs. Many sources said allegations of misconduct by senior leadership seemed to be ignored or glossed over, and a chaotic environment led to high turnover. The following day, Color of Change eliminated another 12 positions, and again, many of them were part of the union. (Color of Change did not report executive salaries on its 2020 tax filings and has not released its 2021 returns.)

☆ 'Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3' had best second weekend box office hold for MCU in 5 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In its second week in theaters, the director's "Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. Most blockbuster films' ticket sales drop between 50% and 70% from the opening weekend to the second week. It is the third-best second week fall of any MCU film since 2008, just behind "Thor," which slipped 47.2% during its second week in 2011. For comparison, the first "Guardians of the Galaxy" film tallied $773.3 million globally during its run in 2014 and "Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. The strong box office for "Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol.

☆ Former director of Tesla Australia sentenced for insider trading
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 21 (Reuters) - A former director of Tesla Inc's (TSLA.O) Australian unit was sentenced to two years and six months imprisonment and will be released immediately on the condition of "good behaviour", Australia's corporate watchdog said on Tuesday. The sentence follows the former director's guilty pleas to two insider trading offences tied to a supply deal the electric-car maker signed with Piedmont Lithium Inc (PLL.O) in 2020, according to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). Schlosser sold the shares for a realised profit of $28,883.53 after the agreement became public, according to the watchdog. The regulator added that Schlosser communicated information to a friend "in circumstances where it was likely" that the person would acquire Piedmont shares. Tesla and Piedmont Lithium did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comments.

Wray's comments Tuesday came after Baier noted that the Energy Department had cited the FBI's earlier findings in its report. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, said earlier Tuesday that China has "always been open and transparent" about Covid. In its assessment, the Energy Department also described the "likely" laboratory-related leak as an "accident," the official added. The Energy Department is one of 18 government departments and agencies that make up the U.S. intelligence community. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said, "China obviously is very threatened by this," but "the lab leak story is not anti-Chinese.

☆ How the Creed franchise makes a statement – and a ton of money – in modern Hollywood
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Creed series is a Hollywood miracle in many ways. It's a lucrative spinoff of the beloved, decades-old Rocky series, but it has its own modern style and sensibility. Jordan's road to the director's chair was paved by Ryan Coogler, who wrote and directed the first Creed film, as well as Steven Caple Jr., who directed the second. Stallone was not involved with the third Creed film and declined CNBC's request for comment. The first film, 2015's "Creed," followed Adonis, the son of Rocky's longtime rival and later friend, Apollo Creed.

☆ Berlinale film 'Manodrome' explores misogynistic world of incel culture
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Miranda Murray | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Cast members Adrien Brody, Odessa Young, Jesse Eisenberg and director John Trengove attend a photo call to promote the movie 'Manodrome'' at the 73rd Berlinale International Film Festival in Berlin, Germany, February 18, 2023. The film, which premieres at the Berlin Film Festival on Saturday, explores the "manosphere" of online toxic masculinity that bubbled up into the mainstream after a series of mass killings by "incels" - the self-described "involuntary celibates" - in the 2010s. They eventually win Ralphie as a new adherent to their cult and initiate him by branding him with their symbol. "It really became this idea of a character who just immerses himself in a world of men. And it all kind of leads to a sort of madness, a kind of a fever dream," Trengove told the premiere's audience.

☆ Real estate broker with tennis side hustle beats ex-top 10 player: 'I'm going to have to ask for another day off'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Megan Sauer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Instead, he plays tennis before work every day to maintain his skill and love for the sport. I'm going to have to ask for another day off tomorrow." This particular Cinderella story was short-lived: Pecotić lost the next day to Marcos Giron, an American ranked No. "[Stock] is a former top-10 guy with an incredible amount of tennis experience and a huge serve," he said. Sign up now: Get smarter about your money and career with our weekly newsletter

☆ These bankers got deals done despite a dismal environment
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Top M&A bankers of 2022. That's why you could argue that this year's edition of "The Rainmakers" — Insider's annual list of the 20 M&A bankers who handled the largest deals of the year in North America — is more impressive than previous editions. What's interesting about this year's list is how it was made up of bankers almost entirely from the bulge-bracket. Check out our list of the top-20 M&A bankers who made the most during a difficult year for dealmaking. Jeff Bezos' $500 million yacht finally hit the open water.

☆ Biden aides briefed former Trump officials on the Chinese spy balloon intrusions the ex-president has claimed never happened
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Biden administration has briefed key former Trump administration officials on China's spy balloons. "It never happened with us under the Trump administration and if it did, we would have shot it down immediately," he said on Sunday. He referenced "recent balloon/"object" incidents," but nothing from the Trump administration. During a February 6 briefing, Kirby told reporters that the Chinese surveillance balloons transited US airspace "for brief periods of time" during the Trump administration. Biden officials reached out to key officials from the Trump administration to offer briefings on the forensics they did.

WASHINGTON, Feb 2 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday credited Brian Deese, his outgoing top White House economic adviser, for helping achieve the administration's economic vision for the country. "Brian has ... helped steer my economic vision into reality, and managed the transition of our historic economic recovery to steady and stable growth," Biden said. Deese, who is expected to step down in mid-February, told MSNBC that Biden had not made any decision on his replacement. Other candidates for the NEC job include Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Reuters reported last week. Only the CEA job requires Senate confirmation.

☆ Gucci's challenge: reigniting heat while boosting timeless appeal
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Mimosa Spencer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

PARIS, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Sabato De Sarno, newly appointed by Kering (PRTP.PA) to reinvigorate its prized Gucci brand, needs to spark heat with a new direction, analysts say - a delicate task, given the emphasis executives have also put on the label's timeless appeal. De Sarno, a senior fashion designer from Valentino, is tasked as creative director with reviving the fortunes of the brand that accounted for two-thirds of Kering's profits in 2021. Analysts welcomed Kering's choice of a seasoned but relatively unknown designer, noting that previous creative director Michele did not have a public profile when he was appointed in 2002. His experience at Valentino suggests a "less eccentric aesthetic" than Gucci's previous designer, noted Carole Madjo of Barclays. The designer rose through Valentino's ranks after his arrival in 2009 to become fashion director overseeing both the men's and women's collections, working closely with chief designer Pierpaolo Piccioli.

☆ A Minute With: Michelle Williams on playing Steven Spielberg's mother
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Hanna Rantala | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Michelle Williams won critical acclaim for her performance in Steven Spielberg's autobiographical coming-of-age drama, "The Fabelmans", and her portrayal of the director's mother secured her a best actress Oscar nomination on Tuesday. Williams and Paul Dano play Sammy's mother Mitzi and father Burt, inspired by Spielberg's parents, the late Leah Adler and Arnold Spielberg. In an interview with Reuters earlier this month, Williams spoke about the role, seeing an emotional Spielberg on set and awards season. Q: What was it like to essentially play Steven Spielberg's mother and take on this high energy role? Q: As a mother and artist, how much did your character Mitzi and Spielberg's mother Leah Adler resonate with you?

☆ 'Avatar: The Way of Water' is the third James Cameron movie to gross $2 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Disney 's "Avatar: The Way of Water" has topped $2 billion at the global box office, making it the third James Cameron film to reach this benchmark. As of Sunday, "The Way of Water" had tallied $598 million from domestic ticket sales and $1.426 billion from foreign markets. "The film has now joined that very exclusive box office club and has made it look almost effortless," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. As the industry rebounds, films like "The Way of Water" have proven that moviegoers are eager to return for big blockbuster spectacles. Correction: This story was updated to reflect that "The Way of Water" is the third James Cameron movie to gross $2 billion at the global box office.

Prosecutors will need a mountain of evidence to cast Alec Baldwin as a criminally negligent gunman, skeptical defense criminal lawyers said Friday, as Hollywood appeared to rally around the oft-polarizing actor. But prosecutors insist they have FBI lab reports that show Baldwin did fire the fatal round. "Is there some intentional act that placed that live round there that we know nothing about? She urged prosecutors to stop "blaming the victim" and rhetorically asked "how about investigating who put the live round into the gun?" "Nobody is asking who put the live round into the prop gun," tweeted Fisher, best known for her role in "Titanic."

☆ Ex-Google comms chief D-J Collins founds biotech startup Early with designer Thomas Heatherwick
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ex-Google comms chief D-J Collins has founded a biotech startup with designer Thomas Heatherwick. The startup, named Early, will focus on the early detection of serious illnesses. D-J Collins and the designer Thomas Heatherwick established a startup called Early on December 20 2022, according to documents filed with Companies House. Early will focus on the early detection of serious illnesses. "Early's mission is to provide early detection of serious illnesses to as many people as possible," Collins told Insider.

☆ IMF chief: Growth will bottom out in 2023 and bounce back next year
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Hannah Ward-Glenton | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Managing Director of International Monetary Fund IMF Kristalina Georgieva attends a session during the World Economic Forum WEF 2022 Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, May 25, 2022. The International Monetary Fund's Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told CNBC Tuesday that the days of her institution giving regular global growth downgrades are nearly over. "I don't see a downgrade now, but growth in 2023 will slow down," Georgieva said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The International Monetary Fund has downgraded its growth forecast three times since October 2021. "The China growth rates are not going to return to the days when China delivered about 40% of global growth, this is not going to happen," Georgieva said, with the country having experienced below-average growth for the first time in 40 years in 2022.

☆ Amazon workers' union victory upheld by U.S. labor board director
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Jeffrey Dastin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 11 (Reuters) - A U.S. labor board director has upheld Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) workers' landmark union victory at a warehouse in New York, according to a decision issued Wednesday, bringing the online retailer closer to having to bargain with staff on a contract. The Amazon Labor Union (ALU) celebrated the labor board director's decision. "This is a HUGE moment for the labor moment!" Workers in different facilities in New York state have rejected joining the union in two elections since, and Amazon filed objections to conduct during the original contest. The NLRB regional director overruled those objections on Wednesday, in line with an NLRB hearing officer's recommendations last year.

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